Ofterdingen and Kropotkin

Viva la complacencìa

[Schumer] points to three long-term trends that ate away at New Deal–style liberalism: the success of Democratic governance, which lifted millions into prosperity and "made them forget the role government had played in facilitating that success"; the homogenization of the country, which weakened Democratic appeals to groups of voters based on ethnic or regional identity; and the decreasing appeal, as capitalism succeeded for more and more people who vote, of a politics based on criticism of the status quo and egalitarian economic and social policies. These changes helped grease conservatism's path to power.

M. Tomasky, "The Democrats", NYRB 54.4 2007

Labels: NYRB

posted by Geist @ 11:24 am